Winter Education

Besides a fresh couple of inches of snow, not a whole lot has changed on the golf course since the last update.  However, the latest snow certainly did come just in time to insulate the turf from the frigid stretch of weather that's being forecasted for the next few days.  Inside the cozy confines of the shop, our scheduled winter maintenance is progressing quickly, and we are on schedule to get everything done before the course reopens.

One of the highlights of the winter season are the various educational seminars that crew members are able to attend.  In this profession, problems, products, and research evolves rapidly, and these seminars keep us up-to-date on the latest and greatest in the turf world.  Each year, things learned at these seminars are incorporated into our maintenance practices, and there is no doubt that they help us in keeping the course up to par.  Besides the formal education involved in the seminars, they offer opportunities to network with our industry peers, and tips learned through these encounters are just as valuable as the university research that we learn about.  Recently, our equipment manager, Dave, attended an electrical troubleshooting seminar that was organized by our Toro distributor, Reinders.  Chad and I have gone to seminars hosted by John Deere Landscapes and the Wisconsin Club Managers Association that dealt with emerald ash borer and the summer of 2010, respectively.  This week, Chad, Nick, and I were fortunate enough to attended the Wisconsin Turfgrass Association EXPO, which is an annual day-long seminar that's filled with great information.

The commitment that Blackhawk has to continuing education is remarkable, especially in today's economic climate.  But, you can be assured that, while it may be impossible to measure, the return on investment is a positive one.

New Year, Old Worries

Happy New Year to you all.  Each year, the grounds crew saves enough vacation time to unwind and enjoy the holiday season.  On December 22, we had our annual cookout to send us off for the year, and we returned to work on January 3.  Besides the disappointing Badgers loss at the Rose Bowl, we all enjoyed this time of relaxation with family and friends. 

When we left on the 22nd, the golf course had a beautiful white blanket of snow cover to insulate it from the harsh winter.  From the tracks that lined the course, it appeared as if everyone was taking advantage of Blackhawk for some winter recreation.  However, after a few dreary, warm days, much of the snow has melted, and we are unfortunately left with a snowless and occassionally icy golf course. 


A look from 1 green down the fairway on December 31 illustrates the New Years Eve thaw.

 

On January 3, a small patch of ice is all that remains on 1 green.

As you can tell from the above pictures, the thaw was slow enough to allow most of the water to disappear, but it did result in sporadic ice accumulation on the greens.  Because they are almost completely shaded during the winter, greens 3 and 6 had less snow melt and more ice accumulate.  Right now, Chad and I aren't too concerned about the ice that we have now because it didn't form rapidly.  However, the ice is clear and hard, and winter injury may occur if this ice persists for longer than 60 days.  Obviously, a lot can change between now and early March, and the best course of action regarding ice on greens is an inexact science.  Hopefully, the snow cover that we had will return, but you just never know with Wisconsin's weather.

We hope that you had an enjoyable holiday season and are looking forward to a great 2011!